NZ Rugby joins with Graeme Dingle Foundation to improve kids’ lives

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has appointed the Graeme Dingle Foundation as the official charity of the organisation and its national teams.

The announcement was made today at Pomaria School in Henderson with children who have benefitted from Graeme Dingle Foundation programmes, former All Black Keven Mealamu, and members of the Black Ferns, Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens teams.

NZR Chief Executive Steve Tew said the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s programmes addressed many of the challenges children and teenagers face in New Zealand and NZR was keen to help them reach an even bigger audience.

“The foundation’s mission is to help make New Zealand the best place in the world for children, young people and their families. That’s hugely inspiring, and aligns closely with our rugby values.

“As New Zealand’s national sport we have a responsibility to do what we can to have a positive influence on the community. Building self-esteem, goal setting and finding a positive path are challenges many of our players of all ages can relate to.”

Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer Jenny Stiles said being selected as the charity of choice for NZR and New Zealand’s national rugby teams meant more New Zealanders would be aware of the work they do in the community.

“We are absolutely delighted to be the official charity of choice for New Zealand Rugby. Rugby is at the heart of so many of the communities we work in and we know our kids are going to love the opportunities this brings them. More than this, we believe this partnership will enable us to go deeper and wider with our work to help young Kiwi’s thrive and grow in their resilience and self-belief.”

The partnership is a three-year agreement and Tew said representatives from the All Blacks and Black Ferns were involved in helping select the Graeme Dingle Foundation to help ensure there was a genuine connection.

“We are all excited to start working together and do what we can to help New Zealand children and young people live their best lives.”

About Graeme Dingle Foundation

The Graeme Dingle Foundation is a child youth charity named in recognition of Kiwi adventurer Sir Graeme Dingle who founded the not-for-profit organisation with his partner Jo-anne Wilkinson in 1995.

A 2013 report found that investing $1 in the Foundation returns an average of $7.15 to NZ*.

Over twenty years ago, Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson had a vision to improve New Zealand’s negative youth statistics. The charity has helped over 200,000** young Kiwis be more confident, find purpose and direction, and achieve success.

The Graeme Dingle Foundation continues to run school-based programmes for 27,000 Kiwis aged between 5 and 18 – Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K, along with MYND (an Auckland based programme for youth offenders). These initiatives aim to broaden horizons, offer opportunities and give young people the chance to become the next generation of successful parents, leaders and business people.

* InfometricsReport – Growing Great Futures –WhakatipuTamarikiOra found that every dollar invested in Graeme Dingle Foundationprogrammesresults in an average long term benefit to New Zealand of an estimated $7.15.**Based on the total of annual participant numbers since inception

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